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Made a visit to Roadside America on Saturday. Last time I was there was about 15 years ago. The cool thing is, it hasn't changed. Can't say that about too many things anymore. Brought back many memories. I'm glad they got their roof fixed. Hopefully they will be around for years to come.

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I haven't been there for maybe thirty years or so.  Brings back memories as a kid, always wanting to visit but never did.  As a young adult I finally got there in the early seventies.  I've read some of the stories about how the brothers got started on their mother's kitchen table.  very interesting. 

It's in Shartleville, Pa. 

Shartlesville, Pennsylvania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
 
Shartlesville, Pennsylvania
Census-designated place
Shartlesville, Pennsylvania [8484148814).jpg
Shartlesville is located in Pennsylvania
Shartlesville
Shartlesville
<label><input name="switcher-0" type="radio" />Show map of Pennsylvania</label><label><input name="switcher-0" type="radio" />Show map of the US</label><label><input name="switcher-0" type="radio" />Show all</label>
Coordinates: 40°30′46″N 76°06′16″WCoordinates: 40°30′46″N 76°06′16″W
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyBerks
TownshipUpper Bern
Elevation568 ft (173 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total455
Time zoneEastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST)EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code19554
Area code(s)610 & 484 /610 Exchange: 488
GNIS feature ID1187386[1]

Shartlesville is a census-designated place[2] in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 455 residents.[3]

It is located just south of Interstate 78 and is served by the Hamburg Area School District. It is home to the Shartlesville Hotel, which suffered major roof damage in February 2009 during a wind storm, which also knocked down a billboard in Reading and blew off roof tiles of the Pagoda in eastern Reading.

The community is also the home of Roadside America, a large community of miniature trains and villages, located off Interstate 78, that is open to the public. Just to the north of Shartlesville is located the Mountain Springs Arena, which hosts events including rodeos, concerts, horse shows, demolition derbies, and tractor pulls.

The village is located on the south side of Blue Mountain and is drained by the Wolf Creek south into the Northkill Creek, a tributary of the Tulpehocken Creek. While the village has its own box post office with the ZIP codeof 19554, outlying areas have the Bernville ZIP code of 19506 or the Hamburg ZIP code of 19526.[4][5]

Thanks for posting Joe ,

           It brings back a lot of good memories for me . Both my father and my uncle were into trains  and both had great layouts that were put up for Christmas each year . To satisfy the lack of trains in the summer , we would pile into the Studebaker and make the day long trip to Shartlesville  Pa. and stop at Roadside America . This was an annual event for many years .

           Although it never seemed to change , it  was always a welcome sight . Day turned into night and the entire scene became aglow with night lights ,  serenaded by Kate Smith singing "God Bless America ".Then morning would come and another day would begin .

           After we had seen everything , it was back in the car for a short trip down the road to "Haggs Hotel" for a Pennsylvania Dutch style meal .My parents and my aunt and uncle loved that place . As a kid , I hated it .  The last time I can remember going with them was 1960 or 1961 . I was becoming a teenager and there were more important things in life for me to explore . 

            Fast forward to 2006 and on a whim , I decided to take three of my grandchildren and see if it was still there . Not only was it still there , it was just as I remembered it  from forty five years ago . After we thoroughly enjoyed our visit , we were able to retrace my memory back to Haggs Hotel and sample the same type of meal that I had as a kid . Only this time my wife and I enjoyed it and my grandkids hated it . Ah , the circle of life !!!

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